Man arrested after Selkirk cannabis farm worth almost £500k is raided by police

A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged following the discovery of the cultivation in Curror Street yesterday.

Officers in biohazard suits spent most of the afternoon removing plants from the property, once home to the Ali Baba store, and have now confirmed that they recovered cannabis with an approximate value of £489,000.

The man is due to appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court today.

Chief Inspector Stuart Reid, Police Scotland’s area commander for the Borders, said: “This was a large-scale recovery which has resulted in a major cultivation being taken out of circulation.

“The supply and misuse of drugs devastates lives and has an adverse impact on our whole society.

“Tackling the sale and supply of controlled drugs is a top priority for Police Scotland, and the disruption of all drug-related activity is of the utmost importance to us.

“We continue to work to hold those who supply drugs in our community to account and bring them to justice.”

Anyone with information about drug supply and misuse is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

This is the second time in three years that a cannabis farm has been found at the old shop, plants worth up to £150,000 having been seized there in October 2015.